The aerospace manufacturing industry is a high-tech sector that is critical to national security. It is characterized by being knowledge-intensive, technology-intensive, highly integrated, and multidisciplinary. The industry’s typical feature is discrete production, with complex product structures and processes.
The large variety and quantity of components, especially the mechanical processing and assembly of numerous structural parts, make the production process highly complex and time-consuming. This makes aerospace manufacturing one of the most promising areas for applying smart manufacturing technologies. From the design, testing, manufacturing, assembly, and transportation of thousands of components, to the final product’s flight and maintenance, the application of smart manufacturing technologies is ubiquitous.
Industrial Internet Platform for Aerospace Enterprises
Smart manufacturing, based on artificial intelligence, utilizes advanced information technologies to realize the identification, sensing, and interconnection of all industrial equipment. Through extensive data collection, storage, and analysis, the data is fed back into the entire product development process. For aerospace companies, connecting equipment, information systems, business processes, products and services, and personnel requires the establishment of an enterprise-level industrial internet platform. However, the application of such systems is highly complex and faces several challenges:
- Device Compatibility: Ensuring compatibility between different devices and sensors, especially regarding the standardized interfaces, communication protocols, and management protocols in aerospace industrial equipment, requires specialized hardware and software solutions.
- Data Collection and Intelligent Processing: How to achieve real-time data collection from multiple devices and channels, and rapidly analyze and process this data, remains a significant challenge for current enterprise-level industrial internet systems.
- Security Issues: Ensuring the accuracy and security of data during collection and network transmission is a fundamental requirement for applying the industrial internet, especially during long-term continuous operations in research and production testing.
To address these challenges, some system integrators with deep aerospace industry experience have proposed relevant solutions. For instance, Dayu Huizhi launched the CPS-based industrial internet platform DMS-MINDSPACE, which combines IT and OT technologies and provides a highly flexible platform architecture. It supports the flexible combination of various modules to achieve equipment interconnection, process integration, and data sharing.
Digitalization of Aerospace Production Systems
Smart manufacturing relies not only on the industrial internet for data flow but also on the digital transformation of physical entities within the production system through modeling and simulation to optimize production processes. For aerospace enterprises, digitalization can be explored across several levels:
1 Factory-Level Digitalization
Factory-level digitalization involves virtual simulation and planning of factory resources. Through digital design, the layout of the factory, equipment installation, and logistics systems can be clearly understood, and various simulations can be conducted to optimize resource utilization and production efficiency. This includes:
- Static analysis and dynamic simulation of component flow
- Simulation analysis for balancing production and assembly processes
- Analysis of logistics and distribution strategies for central warehouses
2 Workshop-Level Digitalization
Workshop-level digitalization primarily focuses on the layout planning of manufacturing equipment, auxiliary devices, and operational areas, as well as production scheduling simulations. By conducting virtual simulations of the workshop, the equipment layout and production processes can be optimized to resolve logistics bottlenecks, improve efficiency, and avoid material and equipment waste.
3 Production Line-Level Digitalization
Production line-level digitalization involves simulation of production line layouts, logistics, and scheduling. Through simulation analysis, bottlenecks in the production line and optimization opportunities can be identified to improve equipment utilization, reduce production costs, and streamline processes.
4 Digitalization Pathways for Aerospace Enterprises’ Production Sites
For aerospace enterprises’ production sites, digitalization involves creating production simulation models that simulate the operation of processing equipment, logistics systems, and material storage areas. By analyzing simulation data, production bottlenecks, and optimization points can be identified, improving efficiency and reducing costs.
Smart Industrial Equipment for Aerospace Manufacturing
The application of smart industrial equipment in aerospace manufacturing is becoming a key factor in driving the development of the industry. For example, Henan Kuangshan Crane Company successfully completed a load test for the 160t+160t new explosion-proof double girder overhead crane for the China Aerospace Technology Corporation Fourth Institute in December 2021. This successful test provided strong support for the lifting of large aerospace equipment, such as solid rocket engines, ensuring robust technical support for aerospace equipment handling.
The successful load test filled a significant gap in the domestic application of large-tonnage explosion-proof double girder cranes in aerospace. This collaboration between Henan Kuangshan Crane and China Aerospace Technology Corporation Fourth Institute highlights the critical role that smart industrial equipment plays in aerospace manufacturing. Through precise design and production, such smart devices continuously improve production efficiency and safety, pushing forward technological advancements in the entire industry.
Conclusion
The application of smart manufacturing in the aerospace industry can significantly enhance production efficiency and product quality, driving the transformation and upgrading of the industry. By constructing industrial internet platforms and digital production systems, aerospace enterprises can better integrate resources, optimize production processes, and enhance automation and intelligence levels. With the continuous advancement of technology, aerospace manufacturing will continue to lead the development of smart manufacturing, contributing to the innovation and advancement of China’s high-end equipment manufacturing industry.